To Be A Brave
by prussianchickie
Summary: To be a Brave is to be a warrior and defender of the Nora tribe, fighting off the dangerous machines that wander the world around them. There are rules that must be followed as a Nora, things that are not spoken of, and people to be shunned. While on a practice hunt, Eli runs into the outcast Gil. From that point on, their fates are not the tribe's to decide, but their own.
1. His Machine Eyes

Eli poked her head through the bushes, careful to not make them rustle too loudly. The slightest noise would alert the machines to her presence. They were only Watchers, but she had yet to defeat more than one at a time. Her teacher Magyar wouldn't be pleased if he knew she had sneaked off to train on her own, and he would be furious if she blindly attacked three Watchers without him there to assist. Her best option was to lure the machines to her hiding spot, to kill them off one by one rather than as a group.

She threw a rock and it landed just a small distance from the bush. The closest Watcher heard it, and began to make its way over to her. The other two remained oblivious and continued to roam. As the Watcher neared, she silently took aim with her bow, targeting its eye. She was about to release the arrow when she heard a noise by the trees, like a twig snapping. The Watchers immediately focused their attention on the cause of the noise, and she followed their gaze. Poorly hidden behind a tree there was a boy, and his silver-white hair painfully stood out as he peeked around the tree trunk.

The Watchers began to run in his direction and the boy panicked, turning and running away. As the machines chased after him, Eli found herself racing after them, heart pounding. Whoever the stupid boy was, she couldn't let the Watchers get him! To be killed by a machine was too cruel a fate for anyone...

When she caught up to them, the boy was backed against a cliff, but she was relieved he at least had a spear to defend himself with. She aimed at the back of the closest Watcher, and released her arrow. It dug into the wiry flesh of the machine, and it turned, seeing it was her who had attacked. She steadily nocked another arrow as it alerted the other two Watchers, and as all three turned their attention to her, she tried to remain calm. One at a time... She would run if she had to, but she could kill them all if she managed one at a time.

"YAAAAAHHHHH!"

She released the arrow, but the sudden yell had startled her and her aim was thrown off. It bounced off the rim of the closest Watcher's lens. The machines turned once again and she realized the boy had yelled to distract them, and at first she was grateful for the clear shot. But when he suddenly rushed at the Watchers, swinging his spear madly, her gratitude turned to frustration. "What are you doing?!" she shouted, running to help him.

"Saving you!" The boy swung his spear as a Watcher drew close to him, but it knocked him back against the cliff. The Watchers paced back and forth playfully before him, observing their prey.

"_Saving_ me?! You're going to get yourself killed!" Not that she could say much better for herself. Throwing strategy to the wind, she unhooked her own spear from her back and thrust it into the side of a Watcher as she passed around it. Yanking it out, she stabbed its lens, but not before the bright red light blinded her. She could hear the machine fall beside her, but her vision was hazy as she stumbled back.

A force hit her in the chest and she felt herself flying back. Luckily she landed on the ground, and she hurried to stand back up. As she did, her vision cleared and she saw the Watcher coming for her. She lifted her hand to find it empty. Where was her spear?!

"Catch!" The boy's voice reached her, and she turned to see him throwing her spear to her. She caught it and stabbed the Watcher in the chest, payback for the way it had flung her. It sparked and wobbled on its small legs, and she struck again, downing it for good.

She heard the boy shout in pain, and she ran as fast as she could to save him. The Watcher had him pinned against the cliff, throwing its body weight at him. It leaped back, and its lens began to glow dangerously. Just in time, Eli grabbed the boy's arm and yanked him out of the beam's path. She darted forward and thrust her spear into the machine's underside, sending sparks flying. It toppled to its side, and to her surprise the boy finished it off, stabbing its eye with his spear.

Closing her eyes, Eli collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily and covered in sweat. "Thank All-Mother... We're alive..." she panted.

"That was so awesome!" the boy exclaimed as he collapsed beside her. "I've never fought three Watchers by myself!"

"By _yourself_?"

He quickly amended his words. "Sorry. Thanks for helping me. What I meant to say is more like... It's the first time I've fought three machines at the same time. Without my old man."

Satisfied at his correction, Eli smirked. "Same goes for me. I snuck out to hunt. I would tell my teacher about this when I get back, but I'm sure I'd get scolded rather than praised. How about you?"

The boy was silent for a moment, then he mumbled, "I would like to tell my old man too, but he's dead."

The statement was jarring, and memories flashed through Eli's mind before she could stop them. She opened her eyes and stared up at the dimming sky. "I'm sorry... I lost someone too, so I understand..." She turned her head to him and got her first real look at him. The sight of his plain, ragged clothes startled her, and she quickly bolted upright, crawling backwards to put some distance between them. "You're an outcast!" she cried.

He opened his eyes and she flinched at the sight of their strange red color tinted with light blue. She didn't know a person could have eyes like that... They reminded her of a machine's eyes. Was he an outcast because of _that_?

He smiled weakly at her reaction. "Yeah... You didn't notice?"

She shook her head. "No! We were too busy fight-!" She hurriedly covered her mouth with her hands, realizing her mistake. She wasn't allowed to speak to an outcast! What was she thinking?! She got to her feet and gathered her spear. She had to leave. He could keep the metal shards and machine parts for himself.

"Please... Don't go."

She turned to the boy, glaring, but her eyes softened as she saw the desperation in his strange colored eyes.

He swallowed. "You're... You're the first person I've talked to since my old man passed..."

Eli stood frozen, debating with herself. She could get in trouble for talking with him, but... She understood all too clearly what he was going through.

The boy tore his eyes from hers, knowing he was asking a lot from her. "Sorry... He was just... He was all I had."

Looking over his thin pale frame, Eli had to wonder just how long the boy had been on his own. He had to be about the same age as her, around 11, but she was far more muscular than he was, and there was more meat on her bones. Was he getting enough to eat? Judging from how he had fought and how easily he'd attracted the Watchers' attention, he clearly didn't have much hunting experience. With the cold season approaching, he was definitely going to struggle by himself...

Biting her lip, she quietly hissed, "I could get in big trouble for talking to you! Do you just want a conversation, or what do you want, exactly?"

Surprised that she was actually speaking with him, the boy blinked. "Could we just... talk? For a few minutes? Nobody has to know! I won't tell a soul!"

Eli debated some more, then sighed and sat down again, still careful to keep some distance from him. She put her spear down and crossed her arms as she threatened, "You better not... If you do, I'll call you a liar and find you! And break your arm!"

His face instantly lit up, and he began to tell her about his old man and how great he was. The old man, Fritz, had been an outcast too, and had been tasked to take care of the boy when he was just an infant. He treated the boy just like a son, despite the fact that they were not related by blood. Fritz was not blessed with good health, however, and he hadn't been able to teach the boy about hunting and living on his own as much as he would have liked to. A fellow outcast had helped them with food and supplies when he could, but he had made it clear it was only because he and the old man shared history together. When the old man got very sick and passed away, the other man stopped coming by, leaving the boy to fend for himself.

"So... It's just me now," the boy concluded. When he glanced at Eli, he was shocked to find tears rolling down her cheeks. She hurried to brush them away, but she knew he'd seen.

With a shaky breath, she replied, "That's horrible..."

The boy awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "I-It's fine. I'm managing on my own. Just have to get better at hunting and other stuff..."

"No, it's not fine!" She curled her fingers into tight fists, and when she spoke there was anger in her voice. "You're not fine on your own! How can this be okay?!" She angrily brushed more tears away. "My mother died on a hunt, a couple years ago... A Scrapper wandered too close to the settlement and she and a group of other Braves had to kill it. It got her. But... At least I had my father after! And my friends! You have... You have nobody..." She looked at him with a sad expression, and he averted his gaze.

"I don't need your pity," he mumbled, his cheeks reddening.

"No, but you need my help." Energy sparked in her eyes, and she grinned at him. "I can teach you everything I know about hunting! My teacher says I have a lot to learn yet, so anything new I learn, I can pass on to you! I can sneak out, we can meet somewhere where no one will see us, and we'll train together!"

He stared at her, dumbfounded. "B-But what if someone finds us? You'll get in trouble! I don't want that..."

She thought for a moment. "Well... What if we do this? You can talk, but I won't. Technically, I'm only banned from _speaking_ to you. But I can _listen_ while you talk! It'll be like I'm ignoring you, but I'm really not."

He frowned. "But... Then _you_ won't get to talk."

"We'll think of something... Maybe I can write messages in the dirt. Or we'll develop a secret language that doesn't need spoken!" She stood and dusted herself off, and as he stood and did the same, she held her hand out to him. "This will be our secret! It's kind of exciting!"

He hesitated, then clasped his hand around hers. "Thank you... Thank you so much! I don't know how to repay you, though." His grip was weak, but she would fix that.

She tightened her fingers around his, showing him the proper grip for a handshake. "You can repay me with lots of hard work! My name's Eli, by the way. What's yours?" she asked with a grin.

The boy beamed as he copied her strong grip and they shook hands. His strange eyes danced with a newly discovered light as he answered, "I won't let you down! ...My name's Gil."


	2. Her Blaze Eyes

Gil smiled as he caught sight of a few Striders just ahead. More practice. As Eli quietly passed him, she held up a hand, the fingers spread out. Five Striders. She signaled for them to take cover, and they silently slipped into the auburn bushes.

They observed the Striders, then she turned to him. Her hands and fingers were a flurry of motion as she signed, 'What's your plan?'

They really had created a secret language of their own over the years, through some trial and error and lots and lots of practice. They had created signals for hunting, which was actually really helpful when silence was necessary. And they had created signals representing sounds, which they could string together to form words, then sentences. The Nora tribe relied on oral communication rather than writing, so it felt more natural compared to a written alphabet. They used this method for personal conversations. The unspoken language had been difficult to create, but thanks to years of practice they had mastered it. Of course, they still had to be careful that no one saw them communicating, but at least in this way they could converse in private.

Gil took a moment to assess the situation, then signaled back. 'We should set a trap. If you can lure at least two and take care of them without the others noticing, I can get the rest with a blast wire.'

She nodded her approval and within seconds she was sneaking over to another bush, then another. He tensed, watching as one of the Striders turned its back to him. Good... One less machine that had its eyes in his direction.

Eli whistled, and the closest Strider to her lifted its head, alert. She whistled again, and it headed in her direction. The other Striders continued grazing. Gil watched and beamed as he saw Eli assault the machine from her hiding spot, taking it down swiftly and silently in one go. One of the other machines heard the dead Strider fall to the ground though, and it made its way over to investigate the pile of metal. Once again, Eli killed it before it could alert the others.

It was his turn now. In theory, if one was patient enough they could simply kill the group of machines by doing exactly as Eli had: killing them with a silent strike, one by one. But Gil didn't have that kind of patience, and preferred to do things in a slightly _louder_ way. He threw a rock over the heads of the Striders, and the sound of it landing made the remaining three look in its direction. He threw another one, and they plodded as a group to the mysterious object that had just landed.

He quietly emerged from the bushes and with his eyes still on the Striders, he reached the halfway point between them and himself, planted one end of the trap in the ground, then reeled the length of cable over a distance. He planted the second stake and returned to the bushes. He whistled and the Striders turned to face him. He whistled again and they followed the sound. When the trap went off it successfully killed two of them, but it missed the rear Strider and the machine bolted.

"Get back here!" Gil hissed under his breath, instantly swinging his bow from his back and nocking a fire arrow. He took multiple shots at the machine, and it caught fire. Within moments it was on the ground, a smoking heap of charred metal.

Eli met with him where he stood and gave his shoulder a firm squeeze. 'Well done.' He looked at her and she signed, 'It could have gone better, but you still got the runaway. It's a win!'

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but was it good enough for the Proving?" he asked, reverting back to speaking now that the machines were dead.

She shrugged and gave him a small smile as she signed, 'We still have another year yet. We both still have a lot of work to do before we're there.'

"You say it like that's a lot of time," he grumbled. "It'll be here before we know it."

She jokingly prodded his forehead. 'Only if you think that way!' She flashed another smile and walked over to the nearest dead Strider. As she began pulling parts off, Gil walked over to her and began to help.

"...Something's been on my mind a lot lately," he said, his voice quiet. She glanced up at him. He continued. "...I think you should finish training by yourself." She furrowed her eyebrows. "I know what people are saying about us. What they're accusing you of..."

He didn't go near the settlements that often, but on the occasions when he did, or when he passed other hunters in the territory, he overheard things. Rumors. And intentionally loud remarks. Their words echoed in his mind...

"_It's that outcast. You know... The one with the machine eyes. Eli might as well be an outcast too, for as much time as she spends with him._"

"_If they ever catch her talking to him, she will be! She says she's never spoken a word to him, but she has to be lying._"

"_She's a disgrace to the Nora name, if you ask me. Who in their right mind even takes a second look at an outcast?_"

"_I hear he plans on participating in the Proving. I for one refuse to accept him as a Nora, even if he completes it. Those eyes..._"

"_The more she is with that outcast, the less of a Nora she is._"

The message was always the same: He was an outcast, and she was a Nora. And the more she was with him, the less the Nora people respected her. If they lost all their respect for her, maybe they really would make her an outcast like him...

She waved a hand away, like she was swatting a fly. 'I don't care.'

"Look. I don't want to hurt your reputation any more than I already have. It's not... It's not _normal_ for a Nora to be this close with an outcast. Even if you don't speak to me, you're still around me..."

She ignored him, yanking scraps of metal from the Strider and placing it in a pile by her feet.

Gil pried the machine's heart from its chest and set the valuable piece on the ground. "If they haven't already, people might be sent to spy on us."

Eli paused salvaging to sign, 'So?'

"But doesn't that bother you?"

'No.'

He gave her a baffled look. "How does that not bother you, Eli? People you've known your whole life are turning against you, and you're okay with that?"

'Yes.' She lifted her eyes to his, and furiously signed, 'I'll always be by your side, Gil. The Nora might be turning its back on me, but they've turned their back on you your whole life. For something that you were born with, that is out of your control! And that's something I can't forgive. We'll train together as we always have, and when it's time for the Proving, we'll do that together too. And when you're accepted as a true Nora, I'll be the first to congratulate you, because to me you're already one of us.' Her cheeks were red as she finished her rant, and she looked away quickly.

Stunned by her words, Gil didn't know how to respond. His own cheeks felt hot, and he had a warm feeling in his chest. She really... felt that way? About him? An outcast?

When he didn't reply, she lifted her eyes to him again. 'What?' she asked. '...What is it?'

The sun reflected off her beautiful leaf green eyes, turning them a brighter shade. The color reminded him of something, and as he tore one of the blaze cannisters from the Strider he stared at it. That was it. When the sun hit her eyes, Eli's eyes looked like blaze...

"...Nothing," he answered, smirking.

His answer wasn't entirely true. But they both knew it.


	3. The Proving

Eli's heart pounded as she and Gil made their way to the Proving Grounds with their fellow initiates. This was what they had all been training so hard for over the past few years. She and Gil were finally going to become Nora Braves, tasked with fighting off machines and protecting the Sacred Lands. She would carry on her late mother's duty proudly, and Gil would be accepted as a true Nora at last.

As they walked, memories from the night before and earlier that morning kept repeating in her mind. Meeting with Gil at the bridge leading to Mother's Heart had been a joyous occasion, as they could finally speak to each other. It was the first time she had been able to talk to him in years, and it felt like a giant burden had been lifted from her heart at last. Their conversation was very short, but it was still clear in her thoughts...

* * *

Gil had been waiting for her, back turned to her as he gazed at the entrance to Mother's Heart. As she had neared him, she couldn't help but admire how much he'd changed over the years. He was no longer the weak, thin boy she had saved that day long ago. His arms had grown muscular and his body was strong and well-built, and he was now taller than her. His stance as he stood was one of confidence, though thinking back it was probably an act. He'd always been good at putting on a brave face when he was nervous.

She came up beside him and he turned to her. He quickly flashed his signature smile, and she smiled back. "Hello, Gil."

Hearing her say his name instantly made his unique eyes light up. "Hello, Eli."

They had wanted to embrace each other, but they didn't dare. People passed by them, shooting disgusted looks at the pair of them. It was not the time or place, and so after an understanding nod to each other they quietly followed the steady stream of people to the gates.

The joy they had felt moments before was quickly marred when the guards refused to let Gil enter, crossing their spears and driving him back from the closed gates. Some of the people behind them loudly agreed with the guards, while others remained silent. But of course Eli wasn't going to stand for it. She shouted and made such a scene pleading his case that the gates opened and Mother Teersa herself came out, shaming the guards and ushering them both in. Eli and Gil thanked her profusely, and once inside they were welcome to join in with the festivities.

They listened to the story of All-Mother and the Metal Devil. They ate delicious food and enjoyed wandering Mother's Heart, taking in all the decorations and lively music. They talked about anything and everything they could think of, to make up for years of Eli's silence. Some people still gave them (and especially Gil) a hard time. But there were also Nora who seemed to feel if Mother Teersa herself allowed the outcast in, he was welcome. Those people were willing to talk with them, though some still avoided looking Gil in the eyes. When they found a spot to stand by a fire later that night, Gil confided to her that for the first time in his life, he felt like the Nora were starting to accept him. She knew he could be treated much better, but she held her tongue and couldn't help smiling. To hear him say that, with those bright eyes and that innocent grin, made Eli extremely happy.

When it came time for the Blessing Ceremony, they were surprised to find Gil had a lantern waiting for him as well. As he had told Eli before, he knew nothing of his birth parents. The word 'mother' didn't hold as much meaning to him as it did for the Nora. But the Blessing Ceremony was an integral part of the Proving, and so he participated. As Eli kneeled by her own lantern, she cast a quick glance his way. She didn't know what was going through his mind at that moment, but he had a determined look on his face, like he was making a promise to himself. She looked back to her lantern, her thoughts turning to her late mother. She promised she would make her proud the next day. And she prayed for her mother to watch over Gil too.

After the Blessing Ceremony, she and Gil had headed to the Hunter's Lodge to prepare for bed. There they had a chance to see more closely who they would be competing with. A couple of guys introduced themselves as Tonio and Fran, and they quickly struck up a friendly conversation with Gil. They seemed genuinely curious about his life as an outcast. And they showed no fear of his eyes; instead they were in awe of them. Seeing he was in good hands, Eli left him to talk with some of the others. There were a few that recognized her as the girl who was friends with the outcast and stayed away from her. One guy didn't stay quiet, however, and their conversation was short and filled with insults flung back and forth. But others were nice like Gil's new friends, and she got along well with them.

Eli made sure to wake up before Gil, and she visited the merchant she'd seen the previous night. When she explained what she wanted, she had expected the merchant to be reluctant granting her request. But the merchant was kind, and when she described who it was for he knew the measurements just from memory, having seen Gil walk by the day before.

Knowing Gil would wake up soon and come looking for her, she waited outside the Hunter's Lodge. Sure enough, before long he found her and she motioned for him to follow her. She led him to a secluded spot away from prying eyes, and handed him the large gift wrapped in a long skin. She remembered that conversation clearly too...

"What's this?" he had asked, giving her a confused look.

"You'll find out if you open it," she teased, urging him on. "Go ahead!"

He unwrapped the skin and saw what lay in a bundle underneath. "Eli..." He was speechless. He said nothing as he unfurled the Nora Brave outfit, and he remained silent as he felt the material with his hand, admiring the design. Compared to his outcast garb, there was only a small difference in appearance, but the difference in meaning was monumental.

"After the Proving, you will officially be a Nora Brave. And a Brave must have proper attire to fight off machines." Eli grinned at his dazed expression. He looked like he was wondering if he was dreaming, like he expected the Brave garb to disappear if he blinked. "It's a lot sturdier than what you've been wearing. I know I helped you make your own clothes, but I'm not a Stitcher. This is what you deserve to wear..."

He looked at her, and his eyes pierced her heart. He was looking at her as though she was All-Mother incarnate standing before him. She felt her cheeks growing hot as she gazed back. "I want you to wear that for the Proving. Wear the Brave outfit and it will make you brave. And when you win, it will make me proud. ...And make a lot of people mad," she joked, unable to remain too serious. "I mean it, they'll be pissed. And you can raise your head high as an official Brave and piss them off even more."

He laughed at that, and she laughed with him. He stepped closer to her, and she suddenly grew nervous. He was so close...

"I like the sound of that," he replied with a smirk. "But... I'm not going to win by myself. I want to win with you. If I get ahead of you at the finish point, I'm waiting for you."

Eli blinked. "I thought you said you wanted to beat everyone else and come in first. To make a statement? You've been saying that for years!"

He shrugged. "I know. But I didn't get to where I am today without you. You saved me, Eli. In more ways than you know..." His smirk turned to a soft smile. "When the world turned its back on me, you were there. You risked a lot just to help me, and you suffered for it, but you did it anyway. You were my only friend. The only person apart from Fritz who ever cared if I lived or died."

He wrapped an arm around her, still tightly holding the Brave outfit in his other hand. His voice was raspy as he continued. "I owe you my life, Eli. I owe you more than I'll ever be able to repay. The least I can do is wait for you at the finish, so that we can tie for first."

Closing her eyes, Eli embraced him warmly. This feeling... It felt so foreign to her, yet so right. "What makes you think I won't be waiting for _you_?"

"Hmm... You have a point. We're pretty equal in strength, but you're a little faster," he admitted, pulling away. Within seconds he was smirking again. "How about this? We stay together through the whole thing, working as a team. There aren't any rules against that, are there?"

Eli smirked back. "Sneaky... I like it!"

"Like this?"

A small force pressed against her lips, catching her off guard. It only lasted an instant, then Gil was grinning mischievously at her, awaiting her response.

She smiled back, giggling. "Yes, sneaky like that! ...And I like that, too!" Typically women were supposed to make the first move in romantic endeavors, as it was part of Nora tradition, but she and Gil had cast tradition aside a long time ago. She returned the kiss, and despite the fact that they still had the Proving to complete, it was already the best day of their lives.

* * *

Replaying that moment in her mind one last time, Eli smiled and returned her focus to the present. So much had happened the night before and earlier that morning, but the Proving took top priority now.

The group came to a stop before the rock wall and Eli shared a glance with Gil. He grinned at her. She grinned back. As they waited their turn to approach the wall, the Proctor scowled at Gil. "Awfully bold of you to wear a Brave's outfit, outcast. You haven't even passed yet."

Gil scowled back. "No, but I will pass." He turned to the rock wall and began the climb.

The Proctor made a gruff noise, sounding his disapproval. "We'll see, Machine Eyes."

Eli climbed beside Gil, keeping pace with him. If she had wanted to, she could have climbed much faster, but they were in this together and she wasn't going to leave him behind after what the Proctor had called him. After the Nora began to see more of Gil and discovered the rumors of his red-blue eyes were true, 'Machine Eyes' became their derogatory nickname for him. It reduced him to not only an outcast, but a machine part. Like he wasn't even human...

"You were right," Gil said, giving a sharp laugh as they climbed. "He's pissed."

Eli laughed too, smirking as she replied, "Told you! Rub it in and it'll feel twice as good when we win!"

When they reached the top, they gathered with the group of aspirants at the starting location. Within moments the Proctor was there with them and gave them their cue. "Braves! Ready yourselves!"

The noise could be heard first, like a stampede. Seconds later the large group of Grazers came into view, running along the snowy path towards them. Eli and Gil readied their weapons of choice: She nocked a fire arrow to her bow, and he gripped his tripcaster tightly. His jaw was clenched as she looked to him. "Ready?" she asked as the other participants scattered.

He nodded. "Let's win this, Eli!"

Together they rushed into the fray, and Eli made quick work of setting fire to a Grazer. As it toppled to the ground, she ran to the machine and finished it off. While she searched for her trophy, Gil had managed to tie down a Grazer and was running to meet it, switching out his tripcaster for his spear. He killed it with a few well aimed strikes, and immediately scavenged the dead machine for his trophy. Just as Eli met back up with him, he yanked his trophy from the wreckage triumphantly. "Yes!" he crowed.

"Okay, let's go!" No sooner were the words out of her mouth than she felt a small rush of air and she instinctively lifted her trophy in front of Gil's. An arrow embedded itself in the metal, and pieces fell to the ground at her side. She turned, glaring, and found the culprit. It was the bastard she'd argued with in the Hunter's Lodge the night before. He shot her a smug look, and she immediately nocked a fire arrow and attacked his trophy. He gave a shout as flames sprouted and he dropped it.

"Is that allowed?!" he cried indignantly to the Proctor.

The Proctor's lip twisted as he snarled, "You foolishly did the same to hers! Now you must both get another trophy!"

"But I was aiming for the outcast's!"

"Doesn't matter! I'd suggest you hurry up! She's already got her second!"

While the stupid bastard had argued with the Proctor, Eli had downed another Grazer and she was already lifting her trophy above her head. As the boy looked at her with big eyes, she stuck her tongue out at him and nudged Gil. "Come on, let's go!"

Without another glance back they hurried to follow the others. They were much farther behind than they had imagined. Eli cursed as they came across another Proctor and she saw the group in the distance. "Shit!"

The Proctor laughed. "What did you expect, sticking with the outcast? You'd fare better leaving him here, girl."

Gil shook his head. "We don't have to be first, Eli. We'll still be Braves as long as we finish."

Eli looked at their surroundings, then yanked him sharply away from the set path. "No! We're getting first place, Gil! This way!"

"A shortcut?"

The Proctor protested behind them as he saw what they planned on doing. "You kids have a death wish taking that route! It's not worth the risk!"

"It is to us!" Eli declared.

"...Then All-Mother be with you. I warned you!"

Gil jumped onto the pillars first, with Eli following seconds later. He reached the rocks and found a firm grip, pulling himself up. Eli yelped as the last pillar became loose and suddenly leaned, forcing her to jump before she was ready. Gil reached over and caught her arm as she struggled for a hold and pulled her to safety. "You okay?" he asked as the Proctor shouted something after them.

Eli nodded, struggling to catch her breath. If he hadn't caught her... "I'm fine. We need to go!"

Together they hurried onward and came to a zipline. Gil looked back at her anxiously. "If it's like the pillar, it might be ready to fall apart! We'll have to go one at a time!"

"You go first!" she urged him. "I'm right behind you!"

He jumped and made his way down the stretch of thick yellow cable, landing on the other side with a well-timed roll. As Eli had promised, she was right behind him, landing moments later beside him. They ran and came to a felled tree acting as a bridge to another cliff. Without hesitation they climbed up it, and followed the old holds along its side over the drop below. The path they were taking hadn't been used for the Proving in years, and it was clear to see why. The cliff's side was rather worn from fierce winds pounding against it, and the holds were almost smooth from all the hands that had passed over them.

They came to another narrow tree bridge and raced across it, as fast as caution allowed. Yet another tree greeted them, but this one was to be used as a point to rappel down from. Gil wrapped his arm around Eli as best he could while still holding his trophy and to her surprise she was lifted from the ground with ease. "Hold tight!" he warned her mere seconds before he jumped. She clung to him and her own trophy and watched as his rope snaked up and coiled around the tree. The tree creaked dangerously as they cascaded down, but it remained firm. They landed and Gil yanked the rope back to him. "I was afraid the tree might snap above us," he admitted as they took off running again.

"You and me both!" Eli replied breathlessly. "No wonder they stopped using this path!"

They pulled themselves up to a higher level and continued to run, forcing their legs to carry them faster. Another cliff wall waited for them, and they hurried up it. The wind was picking up as they reached a higher altitude, and snow began to blur their vision. They didn't stop when they reached even ground again, and hurried across a bridge composed of what looked like panels of wood.

Yet another cliff, then another tree bridge, and they came to another zipline. Eli could see the other participants running to the finish, but they could make it! "Go, go!" she cried, despite knowing Gil didn't need to be told twice. He leaped and began the descent, with her following just a second behind. They made the final jump and their hearts pounded in their ears as they raced to the finish line. Three... Two... One! With a shared glance Eli and Gil dropped roughly to one knee and firmly shoved their trophies into the ground over the wooden line, perfectly in sync with the other. They shared a huge grin and tried to catch their breath as other trophies joined theirs in the snowy ground.

"Congratulations!" Eli whispered to him breathlessly. She had promised to be the first to congratulate him, after all.

"Congratulations," he whispered back, positively beaming with pride for them both.

The rest of the Proving was a blur. They placed their trophies on an altar, and the Proctor proclaimed them all Braves and gave a small speech. As the others headed back to Mother's Heart to continue celebrating with their friends and family, Eli and Gil were pulled aside by the Proctors. They were informed that because they had tied for first place, they would each be granted a boon by the High Matriarchs. Of course they had already known this, as it was a large incentive for any Brave hopeful to come in first, but they accepted the information gratefully and followed behind their peers.

"What are you going to ask for?" Eli asked as they walked. "Anything special in mind?"

Gil was silent for a moment, then he answered, "I want to know about my parents. What happened to them... Fritz never knew. So it would be nice to at least... know _something_ about them."

Eli placed a hand on his shoulder. "Yeah... If anyone should know, the High Matriarchs should." She paused. "Is that something you've thought about a lot?"

He nodded. "Since I was little. I tried not to let it bother me, but if I'm ever going to find out, this might be my best chance." His solemn face quickly brightened as he grinned at her. "And what about you? What do you want from them?"

Eli shrugged. "I'm not sure."

"You've had _years_ to think about this and you don't know?" he scoffed.

"Well... The thing I want to ask for, they'll never be able to grant. Only All-Mother could do that..." She didn't elaborate, but her message was understood. Nothing was bringing her mother back to life. "I don't know... Maybe I'll ask if I can hold onto my boon until I need one. I can't think of anything to ask now, but maybe later on I could really use it."

"That's smart."

As they neared Mother's Heart, they could hear voices, laughter, and music. Eli looked to Gil. "How does it feel? To be officially part of the tribe now?"

He scratched his cheek nervously. "Honestly, I thought I'd be much happier than this. I have no idea what to expect. Everything's going to be so different now..."

"You'll be fine." She took his hand with a smile and squeezed it. "You have me. You always will."


	4. The Boon

Gil lay awake that night thinking about what had happened after the Proving. So much had happened, and he still felt the excitement in his heart. The memories flashed through his mind over and over, and he let them, wanting the day to be burned into his brain. He didn't want to forget any of it.

* * *

When he and Eli returned to Mother's Heart, they found the High Matriarchs to ask about their boons. When her request to save her boon was approved, Eli had left to find her father and hunting teacher to celebrate with them for a while. Although she didn't tell him outright, he also suspected she wanted to give him privacy, for which he was grateful.

Alone with the High Matriarchs, Gil had the distinct feeling that Mother Lansra still did not accept him as part of the tribe. She wore a firm scowl and refused to look him in the eyes as Mother Teersa asked him what his boon might be. He was proved right when Mother Lansra hissed, "An outcast granted a boon? What has our tribe come to?!"

Mother Jezza closed her eyes at the outburst. "Now, now, Lansra, the boy is no longer an outcast! He completed the Proving. He is a Brave now. Or would you turn your back on one who has proven himself to All-Mother by our very traditions?"

As the two women began to bicker back and forth, Mother Teersa motioned for Gil to walk with her. "Come, we'll leave them be. It'll take all night to get your boon granted if we wait for them." They walked in silence for a minute, then she looked at him. Unlike Mother Lansra, she looked into his eyes. "I take it you already know what you want to ask for?" When he nodded, she sighed. "You want to know about your parents, don't you?"

He was surprised she already knew. "Was it... that easy to guess?" he asked.

Smiling kindly, she answered, "If it were me in your position, I'd be curious about my origins too. It's how you came to be in this world, after all."

He looked at her expectantly, and she seemed to focus on his eyes as she recalled the past. "It was storming that night, the night your mother begged us for shelter. The guards had their orders not to allow any outsiders in, and it was a particularly strict order in those days. But she was about to give birth to you, and we feared All-Mother's wrath if we dared ignore her cries for help during a mother's Birthing Ritual. And so we let her in, and with the Goddess's blessing you were born within our Sacred Lands." She paused heavily before continuing. "Your mother, Berta... She died soon after giving birth. She lived long enough to name you. We tried to get more information from her, but her strength had already left her and she joined All-Mother."

Gil remained silent, his thoughts a blur with the new information. So his mother had died... There was a small comfort in knowing he hadn't been willingly abandoned, as he had feared, but still... It was a terrible thing.

"We gave her a burial. If at some point you would like to visit her grave..." She reached into her robes and handed him a folded piece of paper. There was something inside, as there was a visible lump. When Gil opened the paper, he discovered the mystery object was a heavy golden necklace with a red gem amulet at its center. It almost looked like a sun, with flat pieces of gold metal surrounding it in a repeating pattern. It was certainly beautiful, and had to be the fanciest object he'd ever laid eyes on. As he felt it in his hands, Mother Teersa went on. "That is a wreath your mother had around her neck. As we brought her inside, she took it off and gave it to me as a way of saying thank you. We Nora don't have much use for such things, apart from selling them for metal shards, so I tried to return it to her to no avail. She refused, and so I kept it, thinking the poor woman might change her mind after the ritual. ...When she died, I decided you, her son, should have it when the time was right. So that is yours now, Gil." She tapped the paper in his other hand. "And that is a map to her grave. Do what you will with either of them."

His eyes were stinging, but he refused to cry in front of a High Matriarch. Gil nodded and cleared his throat as he pocketed the map and necklace. "Thank you... You didn't have to do this for me."

Mother Teersa grinned warmly, but her eyes were full of regret. "Ah, but I did. You did not deserve the fate forced on you. I was against making you an outcast when you were but a baby. But the other High Matriarchs and most of the tribe felt you were already an outsider, having been born from one despite also being born inside the Sacred Lands. With the loss of your mother, that also made you motherless. And when you finally opened your eyes to us and we saw their strange colors... Everyone came to fear you were a bad omen, a sign that All-Mother disapproved our decision to help the woman. They feared that because your eyes resembled those of a machine, if you stayed with the tribe then surely machines would destroy us all. Some thought the machines would sense you and overwhelm our Braves. Some thought you yourself were even part machine." She took his hand and patted it gently. "But I saw a newborn baby. Nothing less, nothing more. Just a baby. Some saw the same, but most did not. They won in the end, and you were given to Fritz to be cared for." Her eyes saddened at the name. "The last I saw of him was when I oversaw your proper Naming Ritual. I am sorry he couldn't be here with you today. You would have made him proud. I hope he took good care of you?"

"The best he could," Gil replied hoarsely. This old lady... Why was she being so nice to him? He didn't know how to take her words, her actions... If he had to describe her, she was like... a grandmother. "The old man taught me everything he could while he was still here. And what he couldn't, Eli taught me the rest." Realizing what his words implied, that Eli had indeed been communicating with him all these years, he quickly exclaimed, "N-No, I mean-! She, uh, she didn't _help_ me, really, just-!"

"It's alright, Gil. Believe me, there are ways around our most stern rules, I know! It's all in the past anyway, as it is." Mother Teersa nodded knowingly, a gleam in her eye. "But yes, the girl! Eli. You're lucky to have her by your side. I heard you worked as a team in the Proving."

"We did. We wanted to win together. And yeah... I am lucky," he admitted sheepishly.

They came to a stop, and Gil realized they had circled back around to their starting point. He could see Eli at a campfire with her father, laughing about something.

"I hope I was able to grant your boon to your satisfaction," Mother Teersa said, turning to him. "Unfortunately, I know nothing of your father. Your mother was alone when she came to us, and nothing was mentioned of him while she was with us."

Gil ignored the disappointment he felt at those words and grinned politely. "What you told me is more than enough. More than I could have hoped for. Thank you so much."

Mother Teersa gave a quick nod and they parted ways.

Gil joined Eli after, and she introduced him to her father. He was a little anxious meeting the man, for as much as Eli had talked about him he didn't know if her father would accept him as anything but an outcast. But her father (despite his rough appearance) was actually a very cheerful man and immediately offered Gil a drink to celebrate his victory in the Proving. As they talked and came to know each other, the mood relaxed and the group around the fire grew larger as Fran and Tonio joined them.

Later on, as day turned to night, it was Gil's turn to motion to Eli that he wanted to speak to her in private. They found someplace quiet and out of sight, and he told her about his talk with Mother Teersa. She listened attentively, and when he showed her the map and necklace her eyes widened.

"That's definitely not of Nora make," she said, looking the necklace over. "It's so... flashy. Like you!" she joked. "You should wear it!"

He stared at the red gem, the moonlight reflecting off its multifacted surface. "You think so?"

She took it from him and within seconds it was hanging from his neck. "See? It suits you! It brings out the red in your eyes," she complimented him.

He laughed nervously. "People are going to hate that, Eli."

She gave him a small smile and shook her head. "You need to stop being ashamed of your eyes, Gil. Stop worrying what other people think of you. I love your eyes. They're beautiful." When he didn't respond, she leaned closer, her gaze intense as she fixated on his eyes. "I love the way the red turns pink in the sun. I love that the blue looks like the sky. I love the way that, if you look close enough, there's a _tiny_ bit of light purple where the colors mix together. Not only that, but I love the way they light up when you're excited about something. Or when you're thinking very hard, how they have this far off look to them, like you're staring at something I can't see." She smirked. "And how when I get really close to you, the pupils get smaller."

Gil felt himself blushing and turned his head quickly. "You're embarrassing me!" he whined, trying to fight the urge to smile. He failed, and Eli laughed.

"Good!" She took his shoulders and turned him so he was facing her. "When you're embarrassed, your eyes don't know where to look. It's cute!"

* * *

Returning to the present, Gil rolled over in his bed, smiling from the memory of her kissing him again.

For one day, it sure had been eventful. He had tied with Eli for first in the Proving and was now a Brave. His boon had been granted and he had learned about his mother. He had met Eli's father, and had been told by Fran and Tonio that he was now their friend. And Eli had told him his eyes were beautiful.

That was right... As long as Eli loved his eyes... He could learn to love them too.

Though he knew for a fact that he could never love them as much as he loved her.


	5. The Leaving

"I want to leave."

The statement hung in the air as she and Gil walked back to the settlement after a hunt. His words didn't exactly surprise her, but they still caught her off guard. What was she supposed to say? "...Why?" she asked, unable to look at him.

He sighed. "Do I need to explain myself?"

"Not really..."

She knew why he wanted to leave, after all.

After the Proving, things had gotten better for Gil. There were still some people that refused to accept him as a part of the tribe, but most people welcomed him as a Nora Brave. He quickly made friends with a lot of people, though he had trouble admitting it. Tonio, Fran, and him became quite the trio, thick as thieves and nearly inseparable. The children adored him, and one of them even went so far as to call him Big Brother. It was everything Gil had hoped for when he and Eli had won the Proving.

But a lot could change in a year. The machines grew more and more aggressive, and dared to venture closer to the settlements. Even the tamest of machines would charge and attack anyone it saw. And of course, despite the lack of evidence, some of the Nora claimed it was Gil's fault.

"_It's because of the outsider! They left us alone before he became a Brave!_"

"_His machine eyes are calling to them! Calling for the destruction of the Nora!_"

"_When we let him take part in the Proving, All-Mother became furious! She is angry with us now!_"

"_The machines won't rest until they've killed us all! Or HE kills us!_"

And the more the machines attacked and killed, the more support the crazy theory gained. People in the tribe ignored reason and feared they might be the target for All-Mother's wrath next, and the paranoia caught like wildfire. Now instead of warm smiles and nods whenever he entered the settlement, Gil was met with cold glares and parents pulling their children away from him. People were more vocal about their hatred than before, too. When he was an outcast, they might say something rude in passing, but it was never to his face, as they would be breaking the rules in talking to him. Those rules didn't apply now that he was a Brave, and they could say whatever they wanted directly to him.

"_Go back to the wilds, Machine Eyes!_"

"_Going to talk with the machines about another attack?_"

"_I wonder how many metal shards you'd go for if I killed you myself? Killing a machine isn't a crime._"

Eli defended him as much as she could, but she couldn't be by his side all hours of the day. She knew insults still got through to him when she wasn't with him. And judging from the increasingly frequent bruises on his arms and face a few rocks got thrown his way as well. It made her furious, how unfair the Nora were behaving. But Gil refused to fight back, because he knew if he did they would only have more of a reason to cast him out again.

Gil glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "So you understand? If I stay, it's only going to get worse for you."

Eli turned to him sharply. "For _me_? It's going to be worse for _you_! People are threatening to kill you, Gil! It's time to start worrying about your own life, not mine!"

"Like you worry about yours first?" he countered.

She grit her teeth. She always thought about him before she thought about herself, and he knew it. He was calling her out. "Well... What do you plan to do?" she asked, skirting his question.

He frowned. "Like I said, I want to leave... But I don't know what comes after that. I don't know where to go." He paused. "I... I sort of want to look for my father. He might still be alive."

"I'm coming with you."

He stopped in his tracks, and she stopped too. He stared at her, his beautiful eyes reading hers. "You're not serious," he slowly said, despite what her eyes told him.

"I am," she affirmed. "Anywhere you go, Gil, I will follow."

He blinked, still not quite believing what he was hearing. "But... You can't."

"And why not?"

"You worked so hard to become a Brave!"

"So did you," she challenged. "We both did."

"But I became a Brave to be accepted as a Nora. Now I'm twice as hated than I was before, so it doesn't really matter. But you... You wanted to carry on your mother's duty! That's not something you can just throw away for me!" he argued, gesturing to the settlement in the distance.

"Yes I can." Eli narrowed her eyes at him. "My mother always said to be a Brave was to have something you wanted to protect so badly you would die for it. She became a Brave because she wanted to protect the tribe from the machines. I wanted to follow her path, even before she died. But now..." She grasped his hands in hers and squeezed them tightly. "I have something important to me that I want to protect, too. I want to protect you. I want to protect you so badly I would die for you, Gil. I will follow you and we'll make our own path, as proud Braves."

Gil's eyes teared up at her words. He closed his eyes, and knocked his forehead against hers. "...We won't be Braves when we leave, Eli."

She smiled, though he couldn't see it. "You're wrong. Once we leave, we will no longer be Nora, but we will still be Braves. That is something we earned ourselves, and that is something they can't take from us."

She released his hands and pulled him into a hug. "My future lies with you. If your future no longer rests here, then so be it. I have to be with you, Gil."

"You don't have to..."

"I do. Don't fight me over it," she argued in a threatening tone. "You won't win."

He gave a small laugh. "You're right, I won't."

They pulled apart, and as they began walking again they decided to tell her father and Gil's closest friends about their plans later that night.

* * *

As to be expected, there were mixed feelings about the news. Her father understood that things were going to get worse for Gil if he stayed, and he understood why Eli had to go with him. But he couldn't hide the deep sadness he felt that he would be losing his only child forever. For it was a Nora rule that any Nora that left the protection of the Sacred Lands would be immediately exiled for life, with no hope for returning. It was the Nora's belief that once one set foot in the tainted outside world, one was also tainted. They would be barred at the gates if they dared return, or worse, shot with an arrow and killed as an intruder. Eli felt guilty that she would be leaving him, but she tried to remind herself he would still have the tribe, and that he would never truly be alone.

Similarly, Fran and Tonio were extremely sad to hear Gil would be leaving them. They reminisced over the trio's glory days of getting into mischief. They laughed fondly over the time they had all gotten drunk and woken up on the roof of Tonio's house. They made fun of Fran for his horrible fish catching skills. They remembered the time the three of them had tried to jump onto Striders in a spur of the moment attempt to ride them (they failed miserably). And they cried at the fact that they couldn't follow him to the outside world. If he didn't have a sick mother to take care of, Fran assured him he would follow in a heartbeat. And in Tonio's case, if he hadn't already accepted a mate blessing from the girl he loved, he would have done the same. Gil really couldn't have asked for better friends.

Their time spent with their loved ones was filled with bittersweet memories, and it passed quickly. Before they all separated to head home, she and Gil announced to them that they would leave the next night. It was soon, but they felt that the longer it took them to prepare, the harder it would become for them to actually leave. They promised to have one final goodbye among them all before they left through the gates, and that was that.

As Eli readied most of her supplies before bed, her father cast a long look over her from the stool he sat on. "...Your mother would be proud of you, Eli. I want you to know that," he said in a hoarse voice.

She looked to him awkwardly, then asked, "Are you proud of me? Of my decision?"

He paused, then answered, "I am. Like her, you are following your heart. Hun's heart led her to me, and your heart led you to that boy. If you say you must go with Gil, then I trust in your judgment."

Eli stood and walked over to him. For a long time, it had been just the two of them in the small house. Suddenly the house was feeling very big, and very empty. "...I love him. And I will always love you." She wrapped her arms around him, and he took her in his strong arms.

"As I will always love you, Eli."

"...Will you be okay by yourself?" She had to ask.

He laughed heartily. "Do I appear to be weak and frail in my old age? I'm not _that_ old!"

His joking tone made her laugh with him, and she shook her head. "I'll just worry about you. I can't help it."

"I know you will, but you don't need to. I can take care of myself." He patted her back. "I have All-Mother and Hun watching over me. The Goddess and your mother will watch over you too."

Eli stepped aside as he made to stand, and watched as he went over to the wooden chest by his bed. "You really think so? Even after I leave the Sacred Lands?"

Her father opened the chest and returned with a small object in his hand, wrapped in blue cloth. "I believe so. Even if the Goddess fails to oversee you, your mother will never abandon you." He opened the cloth to reveal a small flower accessory shaped from machine parts. Seeing her face light up in pleasant surprise, he chuckled. "You recognize it? Your mother wore one just like it. She made one for you a few days before she passed. She wanted you to have it when you were ready to propose a mate blessing to the one that caught your eye."

"I don't want a child yet, though..."

"I know. But you have found your mate regardless. It's time for you to have it."

Eli squeezed her eyes shut as he placed the small metal flower in her hair, just above her right ear. A tear escaped, and she hurried to dry it. More tears came, and her father hugged her once more. "I am proud to call you my daughter, Eli. Wherever you go, and whoever you go with, you will always be my daughter. That is a title even more worthy than that of a Nora Brave."

* * *

The next day, Eli visited her mother's grave with her father and then accompanied Gil to his own mother's resting place. She had only been there with him one time. Shortly after they became Braves they searched for the grave together, and to their surprise it had been marked in an area they had passed through many times. However, they never would have found it without the roughly drawn map Mother Teersa had given Gil. The resting place was tucked away in a tiny clearing surrounded by tall trees and bushes, hidden away from the oblivious hunter walking by. Eli didn't voice her thoughts aloud, but she had a feeling the Nora had chosen the secretive spot so they wouldn't have to be reminded of the mysterious woman.

Gil never told her how often he visited the grave, and she didn't ask. She wanted to give him privacy and tried her hardest not to pry. So going to the grave with him for only the second time felt a little awkward to her, but she knew his final visit was important to him. If he wanted her there, she would be there.

When they arrived, she remained standing as he knelt by the grave and looked the small altar over. Despite his mother not being a Nora, she had been given a Nora burial with the traditional marker. Eli wondered vaguely if Gil's mother would have liked it, but she supposed the Nora had only thought of All-Mother's approval. Either way, at least they had given the woman a proper burial, whether it be out of respect or wanting the Goddess's blessing.

Gil was silent for a moment, looking the altar over. "...Is it weird if I talk to her?" he asked, and it took Eli a few seconds to realize he was asking her for her opinion.

"I don't think so. ...You never got to speak with her when she was living, so it's like you're making up for it now. It's fine by me," she answered.

"Good. I usually do talk to her. Not a lot, but... Just about certain things." Gil closed his eyes, and Eli listened as he spoke. "Hi, it's me again. I brought Eli with me this time. ...This is the last you'll see of me. We're leaving, and hopefully things will be better on the outside." He paused. "I'm sorry I'm leaving you behind, but I'm glad Mother Teersa told me about you. The little that I know about you is better than not knowing anything. And being able to talk to you like this did make me feel closer to you. Even if you can't hear me, or can't talk back. It was nice..."

He didn't speak for a minute, and Eli wondered if he was finished. But then he continued. "...I might look for my father. I have no idea where to go or what he looks like, but he might be out there somewhere. If I find him, I want to know what happened that night. Why you were alone and where he was... I want to know more about the both of you, too. Where you came from, what kind of people you were... Those kinds of things. But even if I never find him, that's fine. I'll be okay. I have Eli. As long as we're together, you don't have to worry about me." He opened his eyes and stood, and Eli inched closer to the altar.

"...May I say something?" she asked. When Gil nodded, she knelt and clasped her hands in her lap. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and softly spoke to the grave. "I already visited my own mother's grave, so I know how hard it is for Gil to leave you. Leaving a loved one behind, alive or with All-Mother, hurts. But I promise you that your son will be fine. I care for him more than I can say, and he's in good hands." She opened her eyes, a thought came to her, and she closed them again. "And thank you, for giving birth to him. I can't imagine my life without Gil. So thank you. Thank you so much..."

* * *

Night came and Eli, Gil, Eli's father, Fran, and Tonio gathered just before the gates. Final goodbyes were said, and last words and loving gestures were shared. But as Gil and Eli were about to leave the group, a mysterious figure walked toward them.

"Who's that?" Gil asked, squinting as the figure slowly drew closer.

It was Mother Teersa, and everyone shared confused looks as she joined the group with her warm smile. "So the rumors were true! You two plan to leave the Sacred Lands?"

Not knowing how else to respond, Eli and Gil nodded. They were unsure how to act. How had they been found out? The only ones they had told of their plans were those gathered with them, and they knew none of their loved ones would ever betray them.

"Ah, a little bird overheard your conversation last night and came crying to me about it tonight!" Mother Teersa explained, having seemingly read their thoughts. "Lud is going to miss you very much, Gil!"

Gil's lips wobbled. "I-I'll miss him, too."

Eli looked to Mother Teersa sheepishly. "We're... We're not in trouble, are we? We know we can never return. This is our decision, and we accept the consequences."

"No, child, you're not in trouble. As much as we Nora value tradition and expect our rules to be upheld, you are not captives of the tribe. We may forbid you from leaving, but we cannot enforce it. You are free to go if you wish. However..." She gestured openly, as though revealing a great secret. "Have you forgotten, my dear? You still have a boon! I cannot let you leave without granting you your boon!"

Eli stared at her, dazed at the realization that she had, in fact, never used the boon bestowed upon her as her reward for winning the Proving with Gil. "That's right..."

Her father turned to her. "I forgot about that as well. What will you wish for?"

As Fran and Tonio offered suggestions (material things such as metal shards or new weapons), she looked to Gil. He smiled and shrugged. "It's your decision, Eli."

Mother Teersa placed a hand to her chin in a thinking manner. "It's a shame, that in these troubling times we will be losing two fine Nora Braves to the outside world. But there _is_ a way for you two to help the tribe, even out there..." She gestured to the skies, and everyone followed her gaze. Amid all of their goodbyes, a star shower had gone unnoticed. The sight was dazzling, but before anyone could say a word Mother Teersa continued. "Tonight of all nights, with a boon yet to be granted upon your leaving... Yes, I think it might be a sign from All-Mother!"

Though it was late, Mother Teersa urged Eli and Gil to follow her to meet with the other two High Matriarchs. Eli had asked her boon carefully at the gates, as instructed, and now they were going to have the boon granted. She and Gil waited alone as Mother Teersa found Mother Lansra and Mother Jezza.

When the High Matriarchs returned, they could hear Mother Teersa exclaiming, "It's true, Sisters! Just look to the stars! Eli asked her boon, and the Goddess spoke her approval! All-Mother wishes for her and Gil to heal the corruption spreading through our Sacred Lands!"

Mother Lansra scowled. "Impossible! I could believe it if it was just the girl, but the outcast as well?"

Mother Jezza frowned at her fellow High Matriarch's poor attitude. "The boy is no longer an outcast, but a Nora Brave. These two won first place in the Proving by All-Mother's blessing, and so would you truly find it impossible that the Goddess bless them in this way as well? To see the stars like this... This is very rare! She has truly spoken!"

"You expect us to make them _both_ Seekers?" Mother Lansra hissed, glaring at Gil.

Mother Teersa grinned. "Not I, but All-Mother!"

There was some talking back and forth, but in the end Mother Teersa and Mother Jezza's opinions outweighed Mother Lansra's, and so Eli and Gil were anointed Seekers. They were each presented with the Mark of the Seeker, and granted permission to leave by the High Matriarchs. Mother Teersa looked especially pleased as they gave her one last grateful look.

When they returned to the group before the gates, they relayed what had happened. Eli's father was speechless, while Tonio and Fran cheered in admiration. To be granted the title of a Seeker was a great honor in the tribe, so their reactions were understandable. A Seeker could only be appointed by the High Matriarchs, and it was unheard of for two Braves to be made Seekers simultaneously. A Seeker was usually anointed in times of great need to accomplish a great purpose, either as a diplomat for peace or to drive enemies away. But the most important thing a Seeker benefited from was the freedom to leave the Sacred Lands and return as needed. They could come and go as they pleased.

Another round of goodbyes and hugs were shared, but this time the mood was much improved. These new goodbyes were not final, only temporary.

When Eli and Gil showed their Marks to the guard, he opened the gates and wished for All-Mother to guide them. They stepped through, and as they turned they waved goodbye to their family and friends one last time. The gates closed, and it was just the two of them.

Gil looked at her, a fierce determination in his eyes. They were free, and they would make their new freedom count. "...Where to, Eli?"

She smiled and took his hand. She was nervous, but mostly excited. It was just her and Gil now. And honestly, he was all she needed. "...Wherever you lead me, Gil."


	6. The Discovery

Gil smirked at Eli as they walked the moonlit path. It had been a few days since they had been made Seekers and granted permission to leave the Sacred Lands, but they still didn't know where they were going. They were just aimlessly wandering, and seeing Eli's bored expression made Gil want to laugh. "Did you think this would be more exciting?" he teased her.

She sighed. "Not really... Okay, maybe a little," she admitted. "I mean, our whole life the Tainted Lands were forbidden, and I built up this whole image in my head of what they might be like. I imagined machines running rampant everywhere, and that there would be danger around every corner. But..." She shrugged. "It seems just like the Sacred Lands. Only outside the gates, rather than inside. More of the same..."

Gil chuckled at her disappointment. "Well, you can mope about that if you want to, but I'm actually relieved it's the same. I don't want to be fighting for our lives every few minutes."

"I don't want that either! And I'm not moping!" she grumbled, crossing her arms.

He turned his head as something far off caught his attention. A mischievous twinkle gleamed in his eyes and he nudged her. "Hey, I have an idea... You want adventure? How about that?" He pointed, and she followed his gaze. In the distance there were old, dilapidated buildings stretching into the sky. Could they be Ancient Ruins...? There was only one way to find out. And it was sure to rid Eli of her boredom.

Eli grinned impishly at him, pleased at his suggestion. "You know exactly how to cheer me up!"

The Ancient Ruins were remains from the Old Ones, from the days when humans reigned with their advanced technology. Neither of the two really knew much about that time period apart from the stories they had been told growing up, but they knew the technology the humans crafted turned on them and their father the Metal Devil attacked All-Mother. And when All-Mother defeated the Metal Devil, She punished the machines and turned them into simple mindless beasts. After the machine animals came to be, the structures the humans had made in that time period were abandoned, so the thought of seeing the ruins was both chilling and exciting.

Gil and Eli could see the buildings from where they were but it would be another day's journey yet. So they changed direction and traveled some more before making camp.

* * *

When they arrived at the ruins the next day, they were amazed at the things they found. Littered about were skeletons of buildings and large machines on wheels, and in some of the wreckage they found various artifacts. The objects were fairly useless, but perhaps if they came across a merchant they could get some metal shards for them.

Gil was still searching through a pile of odds and ends when he heard Eli scream over by the nearest tall building. He instantly dropped what he was doing and ran as fast as he could to her location. "ELI?! ELI, HANG ON!" He readied his spear, ready to attack in case it was a rogue machine, but when he got there he saw nothing, not even Eli. His heart pounding, he neared where her scream had come from and came across a hole in the ground, the opening still crumbling wider. The hole was big enough for a person to fall in...

Wasting no time he wrapped his grappling hook around a metal post and jumped in after her, rappeling down quickly but carefully. When he could finally see the bottom he learned that debris had broken Eli's fall. She was standing and dusting the dirt from herself when he landed, but she looked to be okay.

"Eli, what happened?" He unclipped his grappling hook and rushed to her.

She blew some stray hair from her face. "I was looking around and felt my foot sink into a hole, so I tugged at it. Then I was falling." She looked around. "What is this place? It's... not like anything I've seen before."

Gil followed her example and looked over their surroundings. If he had to describe it, it was like they had fallen into a room completely of metal. The walls, the chairs, the tables... It was all metal. "This is below that building... So maybe the building extends down here?" he guessed. It was an eery feeling, seeing it all in its current state. Though the debris wasn't nearly as bad as that above them, the earth was slowly reclaiming the underground remains. There was technology everywhere. Most of it was damaged, as though broken in a fit of rage. Thin flat objects lay shattered on the desks and floor, and almost all of the same looking objects on the walls were also destroyed.

His foot brushed against something as he took a step back, and he looked down. And immediately nocked an arrow at the object. "What the-?!"

"Hold on, it's not moving!" Eli held her hand out to stop him from firing, and she kneeled closer to the object. "It's okay, I think." She picked the object up and handed it to Gil.

At first glance it was a machine animal, but definitely nothing like the beasts above. This one was very small, and round in appearance. Yet it had wings and visible eyes, a tiny beak, and small legs and bird-like feet. "Is this supposed to be a bird?" he asked, turning it in his hand with an amused expression. "Looks like a little mechanical chick..."

He felt a tiny bump under his thumb, on the object's backside. There was a slim, very tiny piece of plastic sticking out of a nearly invisible slot. Curious, he pushed the plastic back into the slot, and yelped as the machine sprung to life, unfolding its wings and giving a series of metallic chirps.

"What did you do?!" Eli asked, staring with wide eyes as it perched on his head.

Gil stood frozen, trying to remain calm as the machine chick pecked at his hair. "I don't know! There was something sticking out of a slot so I pushed it back in!"

They waited for the machine to attack them, but it didn't. It seemed perfectly content to stay on top of Gil's head, chirping happily.

Relaxing, Eli laughed. "I think you might have a new friend."

Gil beamed, and reached up to pat the little machine bird. "You were stuck down here this whole time? Poor guy! You can come with us, Gilbird!"

Eli raised an eyebrow at him. "You're seriously calling it that?"

"Why not? He clearly likes me! He knows awesome when he sees it!"

Together they left the room to explore more of the underground world. Most of what they found was the same as the room they had seen first, with lots of damaged technology and large piles of debris. When they approached one room, however, Gilbird started chirping rapidly and flew excitedly to the door.

"What's in here?" Gil wondered, forcing the door open with his spear. It wasn't much different from the other rooms, but the way it looked with the furniture arrangements made it seem more important. The central piece was a big metal desk, with one large chair behind it and a couple smaller chairs facing it from the opposite side.

Gilbird flew to the desk and started hopping around, urging them closer. Eli cast a nervous glance around the room as they did. "I feel really nervous in this place," she softly remarked. "This room looks okay, but the rest of it... It doesn't feel right."

"Something must have happened," Gil agreed, his eyes resting on the small box Gilbird was dancing around. It was open, and there were two triangular metal pieces inside, though from the looks of the indented spaces they rested in there was supposed to be a third.

Gilbird pecked at the empty slot, then looked up to them. Gil exchanged a look with Eli. "You think he wants us to pick them up?"

"Looks that way."

They both took the triangular pieces and examined them. "Uh... What exactly is this thing?" Gil asked, shaking it. It didn't seem to do anything...

"Beats me. Maybe it's a token of some sort? Like a badge?"

Gil brought it to his left earlobe, wondering if it was an earring, and the object suddenly propelled itself to a higher spot just above his ear, on his temple. A purple glowing net suddenly surrounded them, and he cried out in alarm as various objects both in the room and outside it glowed with the same mysterious bright purple light.

He quickly snatched the device from his temple and it seemed to power down as the lights vanished. He stared at the triangular piece in awe, stunned at what he had just witnessed. He turned to Eli, expecting to see her with the same awed expression, but she was only staring at him in confusion.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "Why'd you shout?"

"You didn't see that?"

"See what?"

Gil swallowed, gathering his thoughts. Eli didn't see the lights... So was the device specifically showing _him_ those things? "I... I think we might have found something important. Very important." After a moment, he calmed down and placed the device back on his temple. It lit their surroundings again, and he grinned. "It's actually really cool, Eli. Try yours on!"

Eli hesitated, still giving him a confused stare, but within seconds she was having the same reaction as he had. "No way!" She took the device off, then put it back on. "What is all this?!"

Gil looked down at the little machine chick, and beside him there was now an icon with words floating over the box that had housed the devices. Somehow he could read what it said, even though he felt like he shouldn't be able to. 'Log: Andrew Barret'... He didn't exactly know what he did, but the next thing he knew, voices filled the room.

"_I have to work late again tonight._" A man's voice. Andrew Barret?

"_Again? You've been working late all week!_" A woman's voice.

"_I'm sorry, dear, but the higher ups want these fully updated by tomorrow morning. I've got the two already finished, but the last one I'm still working on."_

_"Can't you have the droids take care of it?"_

_"The droids can do some of the work, but not all of it. These new prototypes have to be perfect before we ship them out. I'd much rather work on it myself. The machines haven't been acting right lately. So many mistakes... Probably those damn protestors. They've been causing lots of trouble lately, you know. Or maybe just a hacker having his kicks. We've had to beef security-_"

"_Daddy, look at my new toy! Isn't it cute?_" A child's voice. A little girl.

"_Yes, my little chick, it's cute alright! Just like you!_"

"_I wish it was a real bird, with real feathers!_"

"_No, you don't want a real bird. They're difficult to care for._" The woman again.

"_No they're not! I would take good care of it!_" It sounded like the girl was pouting.

The man that was probably Andrew Barret laughed. "_Now, now, that's still a perfectly fine pet! Better than a real one, even! It has the same functions plus a few more as the Focuses Mommy and I wear! Can a real bird-"_

A loud noise erupted in the audio, and there was the muffled sound of screaming.

"_What on earth?_" The man.

"_What is it?_" The woman.

"_I'm not sure, let me check._"

Silence.

"_Grab her, we need to go!_" The man sounded frantic now.

"_But what's going on?_" The woman sounded startled.

"_It's the droids! They've been hacked or something! They're-! We need to go! Now!_"

"_Wait, my toy!_"

"_Forget the toy!_"

The audio ended, and Gil was left haunted by what he had just heard. So this building... He assumed 'droid' was a term for machines... Was this audio recording from when the machines first attacked the humans? He looked to Eli to see she had the same grim frown, so she had also listened to the audio through her device.

Gil reached down and scooped up the little machine. "Poor Gilbird... You saw it all, didn't you?"

Eli turned her device off after a few attempts. "I can't imagine how horrible that must have been... The humans had no idea what was coming, did they?" She reached out and patted Gilbird's head. "No wonder you were so happy to see us. We're probably the first humans you've seen since that day."

The mechanical chick nuzzled her hand, and they continued exploring.

* * *

A few hours later they climbed back up Gil's rope and reached the above world once more. Gilbird immediately took off, flying in circles above their heads and chirping up a storm.

Eli laughed at the machine bird's silliness. "He must be happy to be above ground again after so long," she remarked. "Only All-Mother knows how long he was powered down, let alone trapped down there."

"Yeah..." Gil turned his device on and scanned the familiar surroundings. Nothing of interest popped out to him, but as they continued forward he kept it on. It was like seeing through a second set of eyes. Everything became clearer to him, even the animals around them. He could see rabbits and boars from farther away than his regular eyes could, which would really come in handy while hunting.

"Don't know if you made the connection or not, but this is called a Focus, by the way," Eli said, lightly tapping her device. "The things they were talking about in the recording. That place must have been where they were made."

"Yeah, I was thinking about that, too. Made, or just did that 'update'... 'prototype'... thing. Whatever that guy said." Honestly, it was still a bit much for Gil to wrap his head around. Luckily he didn't have to think on it much more as Eli continued.

"So, these Focuses... There's instructions and stuff if you think about it. It's like it's connected to my brain somehow."

"That's... weird. I don't know how to feel about that." He frowned. "Hold on... How do you think we understand what it tells us? If these devices are from the Old Ones, don't you think there would be a language barrier? That's a lot of years ago."

Eli shrugged. "I don't know. It is a weird feeling though, isn't it? It's like it transferred the language into my head somehow."

Gil reached up to his Focus and gently prodded it. "I wonder what else these can do..."

They continued their search of the area with Gilbird flying above them. A few minutes passed then Gil looked up to watch and was startled by a message from his Focus. Turning his attention back to the earth he saw a body was highlighted on the holographic screen not too far away. Then another, and another. They were all described as dead. There were a few dead machines in the same area as well. "Eli, you see those bodies too?" he asked. When she nodded, they changed course and headed to where the Focuses were pointing them to.

As they neared the site, Gilbird flew to one body in particular, flew back to Gil, and back to the body. He repeated the pattern until Gil and Eli approached the corpse.

The body had been there for years, as it was very decayed. But there were still traces of a human being left in its appearance. A picture of what the man had looked like in life appeared on Gil's Focus, and he stared unblinking at the resemblence to himself. The hologram didn't show the picture in full color, but the man's face looked exactly like Gil's: sharp and angular, with the same nose and eye shape. As he wondered why the man was so similar to him, the Focus presented a side-by-side hologram comparison of the man and what he himself looked like. A swirling string of connected lines and groups of orbs appeared between them, with a number reading 99.56%, though he didn't understand what it meant.

Eli did though. "This... This is your father," she whispered, eyeing him carefully.

"My... father." Gil's words rang hollow as he continued to stare at the Focus image.

"Something happened here. They must have been attacked..." Eli investigated the site as Gil numbly followed her. They turned their Focuses off as they walked, wanting to see everything in its natural looking state.

He couldn't believe it. He had found his father in the outside world after all, but he was dead. Like his mother...

"I don't understand it..." Eli stood crouched over another body, her brows furrowed in a puzzled manner. "These are Carja soldiers, from the looks of their armor. Why would they be all the way out here? And there's two Scrappers dead there..."

Gilbird gave an alarming cry and Gil and Eli spun to see a Scrapper emerging from behind a building. It must have heard them talking, but it wasn't eager to attack, as it was fairly damaged from a previous fight. Instead it paced around them, observing them.

It was enough time for Gil to nock a fire arrow.

"Wait, Gil!" Eli lowered his arm and pointed to the Scrapper. She had turned her Focus on again. "I'm picking up a new part in its body! It's really small, but fire might destroy it!"

With a nod, Gil switched out his arrows and fired at the machine. It only took a few hits for it to collapse to the ground. Gil walked to the Scrapper and finished it off with a spear thrust to its side.

Eli frowned as she joined him in salvaging parts. "Whatever got this machine before did a number on it. It didn't shoot at us or even _try_ to attack."

Gil turned his Focus on and carefully removed the new part Eli had seen. He held it up so they could both examine it. "It looks like the thing that was sticking out of Gilbird," he noted. "It's just a thin piece of plastic."

Gilbird landed on his shoulder and looked at the object. His eyes glowed a purple similar to the Focus, and he seemed to scan it. An image projected itself before them, and they were startled to see themselves in it. Gil was aiming at the Scrapper, and the image appeared to be from the machine's point of view.

Eli's mouth was open in shock. "It's like watching a memory. From the Scrapper..."

An idea came to Gil and he urgently asked Gilbird, "Can you make it go back?! Make it go back to the night my father was here!"

As Gilbird obeyed and rapidly rewinded the memory, Eli placed a comforting hand on Gil's shoulder. "He can try, but keep in mind this Scrapper might not have been there that night. It might have been injured another way."

Gil tensed. "I know. But... what if it _was_ there?"

Minutes passed, but eventually Gil cried out as he saw a battle in the memory. "That's it! Just a little further back!"

Eli squeezed his shoulder as the image paused and began to play again. There was audible shouting as the Scrapper neared the arguing group of soldiers and a couple. It drew closer, and the couple turned out to be Gil's father and a woman, presumably his mother from her pregnant appearance.

"_It is your duty as subjects of the Sun King! We must please the Sun God!_"

"_The Sun King is mad! If you think sacrificing innocent people is going to please our Sun God, I want no part in it! She is with child, no less! What kind of king, or god for that matter, would demand such a price?!_"

"_You may be a noble, but for you to speak of your king and the Sun God in such a way is treason!_"

"_Then so be it! Allow us to be exiled for our treason!_"

"_If we allow nobles to escape their duties to the Sun King and Sun God, what then of the common folk? The slaves? No one is exempt! There must be order!_"

The Scrapper emerged, and two others appeared beside it. Gil's mother's eyes grew big at the sight, and Gil's father grabbed her hand. He whispered something to her, and she nodded as tears spilled down her cheeks. The Carja soldiers readied their weapons, the couple temporarily forgotten.

As the fight between the soldiers and the machines broke out, Gil's mother escaped as fast as she possibly could in the condition she was in. His father covered her as she fled, distracting a Scrapper before it could notice her.

The fight didn't last very long. Despite it being an evenly numbered match, in terms of strength and brutal force the machines won out. But only one Scrapper survived.

As the footage ended, Gil sank to the ground. He didn't know how he was supposed to feel about what he had just seen, but he felt emotionally exhausted. He bit his lip as Eli pulled him close.

"...Maybe I am a machine," he mumbled. "I know I should be sad, or angry... I should be mourning or something. But I just feel empty."

"You're not a machine, Gil. You're only human."

"...How am I supposed to feel something for my parents when I never knew them?"

Eli rested her head against his. "I'm sorry, but I can't really answer that for you... I don't know what that's like. But it's a lot to take in, what you've just learned. ...You're probably just overwhelmed."

"Maybe..." He closed his eyes. He hadn't cried, but it suddenly felt like he had. His eyes were just so heavy, and he felt so sleepy. He just wanted to sleep, and escape from the world for a bit. "...I'm tired, Eli. Can we rest?"

"We can." Eli wrapped her arms around him and they settled back against the Scrapper corpse. Gilbird nestled himself atop her head. "Get some rest, Gil. I'll keep you safe."

Gil shifted his head comfortably onto her shoulder and slowly grinned. Even if he felt nothing for his parents in that moment, he would always feel a million things for Eli. "I know you will."


	7. The Tallneck

Eli felt Gil stir beside her and she rolled over to check on him. He was still asleep, but his brows were knitted and his jaw was clenched. Understandably, the dream he was having probably wasn't a nice one. She reached out and gently laid her hand over his, and watched as his features softened. Moments later he was peacefully sleeping again.

After Gil had woken earlier that afternoon, he had decided he wanted to give his father a proper burial. She had offered to help, but he was adament that he do it by himself. And so she had respected his wishes and merely watched as he tore off a large flat machine part from one of the Scrappers and started digging a hole.

By the time he had finished burying the body the sun was setting and they made camp. Eli made a small fire and was quick to scrounge up some fresh food thanks to the Focus, returning with two rabbits. When Gil barely ate any of his she knew not to push him into eating more and suggested he rest early for the night. And so he did, though it took him some time to finally fall asleep. Since then he would occasionally toss and turn, though thankfully all it took for him to calm down was a touch of her hand.

She looked over at Gilbird, who as a machine did not need to sleep. He was perched on top of a Scrapper, his purple glowing eyes signaling he was scanning for intruders. His eyes returned to normal, and he chirped quietly to himself. All was well.

With a small sigh, Eli closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep.

* * *

They woke much later than usual, but considering the events of the previous day it was an exception both Eli and Gil were fine with. They ate a light lunch and continued their exploration into the ruins. The feeling of excitement they had shared yesterday was gone, however, and replaced with the feeling of simply trying to move on.

They spent much of the afternoon scavenging through old buildings and more piles of ancient debris. They found another audio recording to listen to. They came across a few machines, but decided to sneak away rather than confront them.

A few hours passed and their Focuses picked up on a strange signal. Gil wasn't eager to investigate, but Eli was determined to see what it was. She knew his heart wasn't in it, but she couldn't quell her own curiosity. Their new destination set, they headed in the direction the signal had come from.

As they explored, it became clear that the area was crawling with Watchers. They were easy enough to deal with, but Eli grew more and more concerned about Gil with each machine they took down. Every time she looked at his eyes, she saw increasing worry and fear in them. It was what she had hoped to avoid earlier by ignoring the machines, but there was no helping it. They had to kill the Watchers if they wanted to freely explore this new area.

Eventually it got to Gil. After they cleared out another group of Watchers, he grabbed her arm to keep her from going on and muttered, "We should go back."

She turned to him. His eyes were filled with anxiety, and in that moment he did not seem like Gil at all, but like a scared child. "We're not going back," she said firmly.

"But there's so many more machines out here. What if they outnumber us? Like what happened with my parents?" His grip on her arm tightened. "You might not be able to escape. I can't lose you, Eli. Not like that."

"You won't." She bore her eyes into his. "Your mother _had_ to escape, for _you_. But I would be fighting right there with you, and we would win! We're strongest when we're together, Gil. And we're smarter than the machines. Even if we're outnumbered, we can hide, we can climb, we can run and jump... We can stab them, catch them on fire, tie them down, or just blast them! We have all the skills of Braves, Gil. You can't let what happened to your parents define what happens to us."

As her clear, strong words broke through to him, his eyes brightened and he grinned. "I guess you're right..."

"You _guess_?" she teased.

"Okay, okay, you _are_ right," he amended. "...As always."

"Much better!"

They continued into the ruins, and before long they were startled by a loud, repeating noise. They hid in a bush and a glance around showed them the source: the largest machine they had ever seen. They couldn't see the body from where they stood, but they could see the flat head and very long neck attached to it as it slowly walked.

"What the hell is _that_?!" Gil croaked, his anxiety instantly coming back. "It's gigantic! No way we can kill it!"

Eli switched on her Focus and scanned the machine. "It's called a Tallneck... My teacher told me about them once. He never saw one in person but he heard stories about them. They don't harm humans, Gil. They just wander the same path over and over."

"That's if the stories are true," he argued, not sounding convinced.

They watched and waited as the Tallneck came into view, and the earth trembled beneath its powerful weight. Its body was rather like a Strider's, but its legs were far longer. As it walked, it paid no attention to its surroundings, even as Watchers scurried around nearby.

"That's where the signal came from," Eli reported, nodding up to the colossal machine. Now that they were in closer range the Focus was picking up on something from the Tallneck's head. She looked the machine over, and to her delight she realized they could climb up to its head with the flat metal beams sticking out from its neck. "We need to find someplace to jump from," she muttered to herself, looking around the area and thinking.

"Why?" Gil asked. When she looked at him with a wide grin he immediately began shaking his head. "Uh-uh. No. We're not climbing it!"

"Why not?" she challenged. "There's obviously something up there on its head. How else are we going to find out what it is?"

"We don't need to find out! We can ignore it and finish exploring down here."

"Gil..." Eli closed her eyes and sighed. "If you want to stay here, I understand. You're going through a lot. But I want to know what's up there. It might be important, like the Focuses and Gilbird." She opened her eyes and playfully patted his cheek with her hand. "When you're ready for adventure again, let me know. But I'm going up there."

Without another word she sprinted away, careful to avoid a nearby Watcher's gaze.

"Eli!" Gil hissed. "Eli!" But she was already gone. He narrowed his eyes and looked to Gilbird, who was perched on his shoulder. "See what she does to me? She pulls this crap all the time..." When Gilbird tilted his head quizzically, Gil bit his lip, debating.

A part of him _did_ want to follow her, but the sight of the Tallneck filled him with panic. Never had he been that terrified of a machine, in all his years of hunting. It wasn't just the Tallneck, though. Since they had woken up that morning, any machine he saw quickened his pulse and made his stomach flip. In his mind, he kept seeing the memory of the Scrappers attacking the Carja soldiers and his father. He could summon enough willpower and strength to kill Watchers, but anything larger... Anything more dangerous than them was a real threat now. Any machine could kill him, or worse, kill Eli.

Gilbird pecked at him sharply, and he jolted back to his surroundings. He knew he had to follow Eli, despite his fear. So he swallowed and took a deep breath, and swiftly hurried after her.

When he caught up to her she was fighting off two Watchers. He was about to join the fight when his Focus picked up on a Scrapper drawing close from beyond the next building. He could see it was alert to the sound of fighting, and as it emerged into the clearing he stood frozen, staring at the mechanical beast.

Eli saw him freeze up and cursed. Now was not a good time for Gil's nerves to get the best of him! Luckily she only had one more Watcher to kill, so she could handle the Scrapper too. "I've got this, Gil! If you can't fight, then find someplace to hide!"

Her words rang in his ears as Gil's Focus located another Scrapper coming to investigate the fray. Eli could handle a Watcher and a Scrapper on her own, sure, but _another_ Scrapper... A burning sensation grazed his arm as he was pushed roughly to the ground. One of the Scrappers had fired at him and Eli had come to his rescue.

She was livid as he blankly stared at her. "Do you _want_ to be killed?! I said _hide_ if you can't fight, damn it!" As the Scrapper shot at them again and the other joined in, Eli wrapped her arms around Gil and rolled the both of them into the bushes nearby. She shoved him as she stood. "Stay here and watch if you want. But if you get your head together, I could use another Nora Brave to fight with me."

She left the bushes and flung a blast bomb at the Scrappers. It didn't kill them, but it got the Watcher as it strayed too close. The Scrappers did receive some damage, but it only served to make them more aggressive.

Gil sat up, his body shaking. He could hear his heart racing in his ears. He could feel his veins throbbing with blood. He could taste the sweat on his face as it met with his dry lips.

The memory of the Scrappers fighting the Carja soldiers and his father flashed through his mind again, and he looked to Eli. The scene of her fighting the Scrappers replaced the memory, and he heard her words once more: "_I could use another Nora Brave to fight with me._"

He yanked his spear from his back and dashed forward. He slid and jammed the weapon up into a Scrapper's underbelly as it reared and prepared to pin Eli to the ground. Caught off guard, the Scrapper tumbled onto its side, allowing Eli to finish it off with a stab to its head.

She smirked at Gil as he got to his feet and pulled his spear from the dead machine. "Glad to see you're a Brave again," she quipped.

He smirked back. "You and me both."

Together they fought the last Scrapper. Eli circled around it and a direct hit with her arrows disabled its blasters. Gil followed up with a few quick spear jabs and when it tumbled to the ground they finished it off together, spear and spear.

The battle over, they took a moment to catch their breath. Gilbird chirped happily as he settled once more into Gil's hair. Eli laughed.

"Better now?" she asked, turning her head to Gil.

He nodded. "I think so. I'm so sorry, Eli, I just couldn't..."

"It's okay, Gil. No need to apologize." She swept a bang from his face and smiled. "I'm just glad you're Gil again."

The ground shook, and they were reminded of the Tallneck's presence. Eli leaped to her feet excitedly and pulled Gil up. "Ready to climb that thing?"

His eyes gleamed with determination. "Hell yes!"

They fought off a few more Watchers until they found the perfect building to jump from. The timing had to be just right, and jumping two at a time was extremely risky, as the metal beams looked to have only enough room for one person to grab onto at a time. So Eli climbed onto Gil's back and clung tight as he stepped back and prepared to make the running leap. The opening came and Gil jumped, just barely grabbing hold of the closest metal beam. With a grunt he pulled him and Eli up and balanced himself before making the jump to the next beam. Before long, the climb was over and he was pulling them up onto the Tallneck's flat head. As Eli stepped down from his back, her Focus pinpointed the signal's origin and she walked over to the large tangle of blue wires in the head's center. There was a glowing orange light coming from within them, and she bent down.

The Focus displayed instructions in front of her, but she didn't understand what it meant. "Does this make any sense to you?" she asked Gil. He turned his Focus on and read the same instructions, then shook his head.

"No clue. Looks like we're supposed to override it with something..." He shrugged. "Guess we can't do anything for now."

"For now?"

Gil stood and turned his Focus off. "Yeah! You never know... Maybe one day we'll find whatever it is that overrides this Tallneck and come back. Might take us a long time, but it'll still be here."

Eli grinned and turned her Focus off as well, standing beside him. "We did promise to come back and visit everyone. What's a little detour?"

"Right?"

They ventured closer to the edge of the Tallneck's head and Gil whistled at the sight. It was a breathtaking view. Below them wandered Watchers, their blue glowing eyes shining brightly in the dimming light. The crumbling, warped buildings speckled the landscape. The sky was a pretty hue as the sun began to set, highlighting the snowcapped mountains in the distance.

Unable to take her eyes off it all, Eli lowered herself to the Tallneck's surface until she was sitting. "It's beautiful," she breathed.

Gil sat down beside her and their fingers intertwined as their hands met. He grinned slyly at her. "Not as beautiful as you," he remarked.

Eli found her mouth twisting into a smirk and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you're _definitely_ back to normal."

As Gilbird landed on his shoulder and chirped in agreement, Gil laughed and they sat in silence for a few minutes, watching as the sky turned completely pink. "It was worth the risk," he finally said. When she turned her head to him, he elaborated. "I'm glad you didn't listen to me. If you had, we never would have climbed up here and seen this. ...But it's not just that."

"Oh?"

"We've been taking risks ever since we met. We risked talking to each other, and hunting together. You risked everything by becoming my friend, and thanks to you I risked becoming a Brave. After last night... I became afraid of a lot of things. It made me scared to fight, to take risks, even with you at my side. Or I guess I should say, _especially_ with you at my side. But you helped me snap out of it, and making the climb up here... It was totally worth it." He beamed at her. "I don't know what All-Mother has in store for us, but as long as you're with me I know we'll be okay."

"Of course we will." Eli smiled back. "We've made it this far, haven't we? The world has thrown a lot at us over the years, but that's never stopped us before. If anything, we've only grown stronger because of it. The moment we met, when we were kids... I fully believe All-Mother blessed us both that day. We'll always be together. No matter what." She closed her eyes as a warm breeze passed by. "...Where should we go after this?"

"Everywhere," Gil replied. "We're free now. We can go wherever we want, and do whatever we want. We'll take all the risks!"

"...We should probably try to get rid of the corruption at some point. We did promise as Seekers," Eli reminded him.

"We'll do that too!" He beamed at the sky. "We'll do that and so much more... Anything can happen!"

Eli couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. Yes... Her future with Gil was a bright one, no matter what lay ahead. If he wanted to find out more about his parents, she would go with him to Meridian to speak with other Carja nobles. If they found themselves in the frozen wilds and in the company of the Banuk, she knew Gil would be at her side. If they traveled to Oseram lands and wanted to learn some new skills, they would learn together. They could do it all if they wanted to.

"Look at the sunset, Eli. Isn't it awesome?"

She opened her eyes to the most vibrant sky she had ever seen. She stared intently at it, trying to burn the sight into her memory. She never wanted to forget this moment. "It is awesome, but I like to think of it as more than just a sunset. It's a new dawn. A new dawn on the horizon... for you and me. And the many, many adventures yet to come."

Gil grinned and leaned against her. "Yeah... I like that."

Wherever he decided to go, she would follow. Wherever she decided to go, he would follow.

They would explore the world together, and with the blessing of All-Mother, together they would forge their own destiny.


End file.
